9.22.2016

13 School Lunches to Pack This Fall

Hey-yo, Cort here celebrating fall with 13 tasty lunches to pack the kiddos this fall! Last week I set you up with enough after-school snack ideas to keep the kids full from now until Christmas. But this week, oh, this week I've got some delicious lunch ideas so that the lunchbox or paper bag stays exciting, knowwhatImean...

I remember making my own lunches as early as first grade. Lunch typically included:

a room-temperature Capri Sun

a Carl Budding ham or turkey sandwich with probably 1/4 cup of mustard and no mayo (which was crazy, because I knew I put too much mustard and was anti-mayo because my brother liked mayo and whatever he liked, I couldn't like because I'm ornery like that, so I just kept eating that nasty sandwich)

a sliced orange, which leaked orange juice all over my overly mustardy sandwich

a fruit snack (Farleys Ninja Turtle variety), or a Swiss Cake Roll

Props to my mom for getting us to make our own lunches at the tender age of 6! Really though! That is amazing! The longer I'm a mom, the more incredible my mom becomes.

Given my nearly 30 years of experience, I've learned a few things about lunches. They can be so much more than sandwiches! Make peanut butter the main course with graham crackers, celery, and apples for dipping. Use hummus the same way. Try a wrap. Top banana or zucchini bread with cream cheese for a sweet/savory sandwich. Leftover sliders are great cold. Pack yogurt with granola and fruit. Can I also say that we love a good Thermos at our house? Fall is the perfect time to fill them up with delicious leftover casseroles, stews, and chili. More about that in the future...

But back to these lunches. They rock. I've rounded up some entrees and snacks so good the rest of the kids from all across the lunchroom will be begging to trade you for their Twinkies and PBJ. You can prep stuff the night before, or let the kids make lunch themselves in the morning. Remember, brown bagging it isn't just for kids! Pack a lunch for work, or even if you are staying home, and save the money for something worthwhile, like a great new sweater or a trip to Bora Bora. It can happen!